The demon Astaroth, freed from his prison at the end of the first book, has declared war on humanity. He is after the Book of Thoth, a book that would allow him to change the world.

Max and his roommate Daniel journey from their school to Spain, Germany, and the land of the Sidh to find the Book before Astaroth does. Max discovers his heritage and finally finds out what happened to his mother. ( )

GoodReads Synopsis: GRAVE FORCES ARE converging to seize control of the Book of Thoth, a hidden artifact whose pages hold the key to creating—or unraveling—the very threads of existence. Under the care and tutelage of Cooper, Rowan’s most lethal Agent, Max McDaniels and David Menlo embark on a quest to protect the book from the demon Astaroth, who would exploit its secrets with dire consequence. And with Astaroth free after centuries of imprisonment, the world outside Rowan’s gates has already become hostile.

Far from home, cut off behind enemy lines, Max and his allies must journey across Europe, descend into the fabled Frankfurt Workshop, brave the tangled corners of the Black Forest . . . and cross beyond the veils of our very world.

My Thoughts: This story starts out a very short time after “The Hound of Rowan” leaves off. Our heroes are a year old but seem more than a year wiser. The challenges they face in Second Siege are much darker and scarier.

While Siege seemed to start kind of slowly for me, it did speed up. Taking me along on a journey to find the Book of Thoth before Asteroth can get his hands on it. I was very impressed with the tone of this installment. Initially I thought this series was going to be geared toward the Jr. High set…and I think the first book really is. Second Siege, takes a decidedly darker and more adult tone. Also Neff is the rare author that doesn’t feel the need to tie up all the loose strings into pretty little bows! The ending is anything but a pretty little bow and Max and David have had to learn some really hard lessons.

I love the direction this series is taking and can’t wait to dive into the third book, “The Fiend and the Forge”. ( )

The Second Siege continues the story begun in The Hound of Rowan. Max continues to learn more about himself, and continues to progress and improve at a super-accelerated pace. It was hard to see him as a thirteen-year-old boy. David similarly acts much older than his physical age would indicate. For the most part, however, this wasn't more than a minor issue.

Still some rough bits in the writing, and places where characters (usually minor ones) were acting rather out of character for how they'd been portrayed up to that point. Overall, though, a good read. ( )

Twelve-year-old Max and his allies risk much as they seek to acquire the Book of Origins, an artifact of unimaginable power, in hopes of halting the ancient evil that is bringing the world to its knees. ( )

Wikipedia in English

GRAVE FORCES ARE converging to seize control of the Book of Thoth, a hidden artifact whose pages hold the key to creating—or unraveling—the very threads of existence. Under the care and tutelage of Cooper, Rowan’s most lethal Agent, Max McDaniels and David Menlo embark on a quest to protect the book from the demon Astaroth, who would exploit its secrets with dire consequence. And with Astaroth free after centuries of imprisonment, the world outside Rowan’s gates has already become hostile.

Far from home, cut off behind enemy lines, Max and his allies must journey across Europe, descend into the fabled Frankfurt Workshop, brave the tangled corners of the Black Forest . . . and cross beyond the veils of our very world.

Twelve-year-old Max and his allies risk much as they seek to acquire the Book of Origins, an artifact of unimaginable power, in hopes of halting the ancient evil that is bringing the world to its knees.